Tuesday, December 13, 2016

The Walking Dead kicked off its seventh season with an
episode that shook the series to its core, killing off two beloved characters
(one especially beloved), and introducing Negan, our heroes' most dangerous
foe, yet. Every piece of season seven promotional material promised that things
were “just getting started,” implying that Negan’s reign of terror would only
continue to escalate after the chaotic season premiere. But, while Negan has
quickly become The Walking Dead’s most hated villain (a distinction he
has surprisingly little competition for), the only thing that’s really “gotten
started,” so far, has been the half-season long separation of our main cast,
and the frustratingly stagnant plot that comes with it.

(Photo Credit: AMC)

This season hasn't been all bad. There
have been a couple of gems along the way- Carol and Morgan’s Kingdom episode,
and last week’s coming out party for Carl, in particular, have been my
favorites. But the show took way too long exploring the aftermath of the
narratively impactful season premiere. We didn't get a follow-up episode with
Maggie until almost a month after Glenn's head got bashed in, and right after
Jesus and Carl hopped aboard a Savior supply truck, and the main storyline
finally looked like it was about to take off, we were sidetracked by a quintessential
Walking Dead filler episode, centered
around Tara and *yawn* Heath.

So how does ‘Hearts Still Beating’ play
into these season-long trends? Unfortunately, it errs more on the underwhelming
side, as most of the storylines that were built up last week culminate in
relatively disappointing endings. I guess if you look at things from a broader
perspective, we get a pretty good setup for season 7B’s “March to War” arc, but
it’s getting harder and harder to overlook The
Walking Dead’s perpetual inability to deliver on these promises of delayed
gratification. At some point, pretty good setups just aren’t enough, and this
show will need to create storylines that are both compelling in their own
right, *and* serve as useful lead-ins
for future episodes.

(Photo Credit: AMC)

Let’s start with the man of the hour, and
the highlight of what’s been an otherwise uneven season. I’ve spoken at length praising
Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s portrayal of Negan, and how the leader of the Saviors checks
off every box as the bad guy you just love to hate. Things are no different in
the mid-season finale, as he continues to creepily settle into suburban living,
making life extremely uncomfortable for the Grimes family and the rest of
Alexandria. After going several episodes without turning anybody’s brains into literal
oatmeal, it would’ve been surprisingly easy for Negan to slowly lose his
threatening aura. Sure, he did burn some dude’s face off last week, but when
his victims are just “some dude,” and not a character we actually care about, it
can be hard to internalize the fact that Negan is still supposed to be incredibly
dangerous, rather than just a cheap one-liner in a leather jacket. However, despite
this episode’s low stakes, the writers manage to keep Negan menacing, for now.
But, as the winter months pass, and Glenn and Abraham’s deaths get farther and
farther away in the rear-view mirror, it will be interesting to see if Negan is
able to maintain this- especially once the tide starts turning against him, in
favor of Rick and co.

‘Hearts
Still Beating’ starts to lay the
groundwork for this eventual turning tide, with a focus on the leadership
emerging from the main cast. Maggie has stepped up nicely into a leadership
role; at the Hilltop, and has been welcomed with open arms by its residents. It’s
probably just a matter of time before she usurps Gregory as king of the Hilltop,
though, it’s clear he won’t go down without a fight. Meanwhile, Rick continues
to struggle with regaining the confidence he lost during his initial encounter
with Negan; and yet, he still manages to inspire loyalty and trust within
characters like Aaron and Olivia, who both follow and support him, despite the
immediate danger it puts them in. On the flip side, Carol makes it very clear
that she wants nothing to do with the Kingdom’s potential revolt against the
Saviors, regardless of how valuable her murdering skills would be to their
cause. Carol’s been on a pretty frustrating trajectory since the second half of
last season, barely recognizable as the no-nonsense badass that made her one of
the series’ most popular characters. What’s worse is that her screen time this
season has been limited to an episode and change, leaving her with little
opportunity to inch forward into her next arc.

(Photo Credit: AMC)

As for the bad, the mid-season finale certainly
has its fair share of disappointing and seemingly misplaced storylines, no
different than what we’ve seen on a wider scale throughout season 7A. I really
thought Rosita’s quest for bullets, first introduced back in episode four, had
some potential as her first, and so far, only major arc. But, its conclusion is
bizarre and somewhat hard to take seriously- the consequences trivial when
compared to the seriousness of her actions. At the end of the day, I suppose it’s
better to have Rosita do something, anything, rather than stand in the background
with her hands on her hips, but I do wonder if her bullet storyline would have
been better served with Michonne at the helm. Michonne’s short attempt to find
Negan is, well, short. And unfulfilling. It does help her come to terms with just
how powerful Negan and his forces are, but I believe this could have been
similarly achieved had Michonne suffered a re-worked version of Rosita’s
defeat, instead.

And
so, with that The Walking Dead slides
into its winter hibernation. In just a couple of short months, a little zombie groundhog
will emerge from its hole, declare that the second half of season seven is
right around the corner; and just like that, the gang will be thrown back into
it, for another eight episodes that will hopefully ramp up more quickly than
the eight that preceded them. If there’s any hope for a faster paced end to the
season, it’s season six. After a winter run of episodes that were bogged down
by Glenn’s fake death, season 6B was like a day at the races, and probably
would’ve ended as the show’s best half-season, if not for that disastrous
finale.

Monday, December 12, 2016

Finally, the kind of episode fans have
been waiting for. After weeks of jumping in and out of different narratives, The Walking Dead casts a wide net with
Sunday’s ‘Sing Me a Song,’ exploring multiple characters and storylines, all in
the span of one episode. It’s a welcome change in format, and certainly not the
type of episode we're used to seeing. The
Walking Dead typically chooses to dedicate each of its episodes to a
singular storyline, which allows for more concentrated narratives, but usually wreaks
havoc on the show’s pacing.

Take this season for example. We’re almost
halfway through, and it feels like the plot has barely inched forward since that
fateful night of the season six finale. Just three of the seven episodes so far
(including the premiere), have built on the central Rick vs. Negan conflict,
while the other four have been about: Carol and the Kingdom, Daryl and the
Sanctuary, Maggie and the Hilltop, and Tara. Yes, world building, character
development, and secondary storylines are important. But did we really need an
entire sixty minutes dedicated to Tara?

Obviously, episodically divvying up focus
is not a decision made of creative ambitions, but one of pragmatism. The fewer
episodes Rick is in, the less Andrew Lincoln needs to be on set. The less
Andrew Lincoln needs to be on set, the less Andrew Lincoln needs to be paid.
But it’s a budgetary choice that has real ramifications on the quality of the
show. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed the leadership spotlight Maggie got to step
into in episode five. And there were even parts of last week’s Tara-palooza
that I didn’t find objectively terrible. But, their cohesive impact on the wider
Negan plot was just too thin, and the individual merit of each episode too
poor, to really justify the amount of screen time they received. It’s no wonder
The
Walking Dead just hit a four-year ratings low,
and is currently experiencing its worst reviewed
season in the show's entire seven year run. With all that said, ‘Sing Me a
Song’ covers quite a bit of ground, and more than makes up for last week’s
lackluster outing, especially with regards to its focal point- Carl’s
face-to-face encounter with Negan.

(Photo Credit: AMC)

When Chandler Riggs poked his head out
from inside Negan’s supply truck, comic fans rejoiced knowing that one of Carl’s
most iconic comic book storylines would finally be coming to life. In the past,
some of Carl’s notable graphic novel accomplishments have been diminished in
the show. For instance, in the comics, Carl is the one responsible for killing
Shane as a human, not Rick. And, he also kills the comic version of Lizzie, an
arc that was given to Carol in the show. With Carl finally getting his chance
to shine, Riggs delivers a surprisingly strong performance, going toe to toe
with Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan, and capturing both Carl’s bravery and
vulnerability- anchoring the episode in one of Carl’s most crucial arcs, yet.

There’s a lot to unpack with Negan this
episode, but without delving into too much plot, all I’ll say is this- not only
does Jeffrey Dean Morgan capture every last sadistically charismatic drop of
Negan’s personality, but he also gives The
Walking Dead a villain with a few more layers than we’ve seen in seasons
past. Unlike the Governor, who was a one beat evil psychopath, Negan is a
little more nuanced. He can be menacing (giving “the iron”), fatherly (with
Carl), and even kind of…neighborly? What’s more, he draws out pieces of characters
that we’ve previously never seen before- weakness in Rick, strength in Carl,
and a whole lot of fierceness in Olivia. That alone makes him a worthwhile
character to keep around in my eyes, as we rarely see this kind of complex
dynamic between a villain and our protagonists. Usually these relationships never
evolve past the basics of “good vs. evil,” but Negan ever so slightly blurs this line, in a way this
show desperately needs.

(Photo Credit: AMC)

Unlike past episodes that concentrate
their focus on one location or character, ‘Sing Me a Song’ gives us a ton of
movement on the periphery, with multiple storylines progressing and merging, in
preparation for next week’s midseason finale. Of these storylines, it’s Rosita’s
quest for a bullet that seems like it will play the most important role. Which
is strange, because I never thought I’d ever put “Rosita” and “most important
role” in the same paragraph together, let alone the same sentence. But alas,
here we are. Aiding Rosita in her mission (albeit reluctantly) is of course,
Eugene. And, though I appreciate the side plot being thrown Eugene’s way, I am
a little disappointed that he’s reverting back to hiding behind his overly
analytical façade, especially after the development he received in the season
six finale.

Also in the mix this week are Spencer and
Gabriel. Spencer continues his impressive march up the top of everybody’s least
favorite character list, while Gabriel conversely moves down- a trend that’s
been continuing since his coming out party during the group’s attack on the
Savior outpost. Recently, Spencer’s taken a pretty hard stance against the
Ricktatorship, a move that usually doesn’t bode well for those with this point
of view. And can you really blame him? His whole family did kind of die shortly
after Rick and co. arrived. However, if there’s anyone who may be able to set
him straight; it’s Father Gabriel, who suffered his own doubts towards Rick
before finally seeing the light.

(Photo Credit: AMC)

Finally, we get some brief sightings of
Rick and Aaron on a supply run, and Michonne with a mission of her own. Rick
and Aaron is a pairing that I’ve wanted to see since their tumultuous first
meeting. Michonne’s storyline, on the other hand, feels a tad bit redundant,
but there are worse plotlines to repeat, and it’s easy to see how she’ll tie in
with some of the other characters we see this episode. Between these two
storylines, we also get some unique walker setups, and it’s impressive that
even after seven seasons, the show is still finding creative ways to implement
walkers, even though they’re noticeably less frightening in the face of more
lethal human threats.

‘Sing Me a Song’ lays out the blueprint
for what The Walking Dead could and
should become- a quality ensemble drama with strong effects-driven action, and
a setting that provides opportunities for unique character interactions and storytelling.
However, this is ultimately a lot easier said than done, and it feels like we’ve
been tricked by these glimpses of potential, in the past. At some point, you
kind of are what you are, and six years and ninety episodes in seems as good a
point as any to draw the line. With that said, The Walking Dead still has the creative potential to throw together
a pretty compelling midseason finale, and I like where this episode lined up
the crucial bits of story we’ll probably see wrap up next week.